understand the Etymology of either of those Words The Country it self is unequal full of Hills and Mountains Valleys and Plains which causes great variety of Prospect and it rises insensibly from the Sea-shoar It is almost all over cover'd with Woods except the Fields that are Manur'd which are not very many and besides the Woods are so thick and tall and the Trees grow so fast that if they did not grub up the Roots that spread themselves into the Till'd Land and the High-ways the whole Country in a short time would be nothing but a Thick Forest altogether Impassable The Air is temperate as well in respect of the Heat as Cold but very moist and very unwholsom in regard of the extream wet Weather for it rains there almost perpetually In Summer the Moisture of the Earth being heated by the Sun infects the Air and causes not only frequent Pestilences but several other Distempers and Diseases Therefore insupportable to Strangers For it reduces 'em to a Ghastly Leanness and renders 'em in a Years time yellow juiceless and faint The Natives of the Country more us'd to the Climate are not so much incommoded by it for the time that they live which is seldom above Threescore Years Colchis abounds with Water-Streams which fall from the Mountains of Caucasus and discharge themselves into the Black-Sea The Principal Rivers are Codours which is that Corax I have already mention'd the Socom which I take to be the Terscen of Arrian and the Thasseris of Ptolomy the Langur call'd by the Ancients Astolphus the Cobi by Arrian call'd Cobo which before it enters into the Sea meets with another River call'd Cianiscari which was the Ancient Cianeus The Tacheur which Arrian calls Sigamus The Scheniscari that is to say The River Horse so call'd from the Rapidness of its course and which the Greeks for the same Reason call Hippus and the Abascia to which Strabo gives the Name of Glaucus Arrian that of Caries and Ptolomy that of Caritus These two Rivers intermix with Phasis about Twenty Miles from the place where it discharges it self into the Sea I have set down as well the Ancient as Modern Names of the Mingrelian Rivers in regard that all the Historical Geographers especially Arrian and several of the Moderns place 'em ill But besides these Rivers there are are some others of lesser note of which I say no more for that before they fall into the Sea they lose themselves in those larger Torrents already mention'd The Soyl of Colchis is very bad and produces little Corn or Pulse The Fruits are almost all wild without any taste and very unwholsom and yet there grow in Colchis almost as many sorts as we have in France They have also very large Melons but they are worth very little or nothing The only Fruit that thrives best in this Country are their Grapes of which there is great Plenty The Vines grow about the Trees and run up to the very Top of the Boughs I have seen some Stocks of these Vines that have been so large that I could hardly compass 'em with both my Arms. They prune their Vines every four Years and as for the Wine of Mingrelia I must needs say it is most excellent It is strong and has a very good Body pleasing to the Taste and comfortable to the Stomach Nor do I know where there is better in any part of Asia So that if the Country People knew how to make Wine so well as we do theirs would be the best in the World But they never take any pains at all with it They only hollow the larger Trunks of great Trees which they make use of in stead of Tubs In those they bruise and squeeze the Grapes and then pour out the Juyce into great Earthen Jarrs which they bury in their Houses or else hard by These Vessels contain about two or three Hunderd Quarters And when the Vessel is full they close it up with a Woodden Cover and then lay the Earth upon it For indeed they cover these Urns just after the same manner as I have told ye that the Eastern People cover the Pits where they store up their Corn. The Earth is so moist in Mingrelia in Seed-time that for fear of softning too much the Land where they sow their Wheat and Barley they never Plough it at all They only cast their Grain upon the Top of the Earth and that is sufficient for it comes up without any farther trouble taking root a foot deep in the Mould The Mingrelians moreover affirm That should they Plough their Ground where they sow their Barley and Wheat it would be so soft that the least Wind would lodge the Stalks so that they would never be able to rise again Their other Lands they plough and sow their other Grain with Ploughs and Ploughshares of Wood which make however as deep Furrows as if they were of Iron by reason of the softness and moisture of the Earth as I have already said Their usual Grain is Gom which is a sort of Grain as small as Coriander Seed and very much resembles Millet Which they sow in the Spring-time after the same manner as they do Rice for they make a Hole in the Ground with their Finger then put in the Grain and cover it This Grain produces a Stalk about the bigness of a Mans Thumb and grows up as high as most Men are tall at the end of which there is an Ear that contains above Three Hunderd Grains And indeed the Gom-Stalk is very like to the Sugar-Cane They gather this Grain in October and presently lay it upon high Hurdles expos'd to the Sun which they do to dry it After it has been Twenty Days upon the Hurdles they bind it up in Sheaves but they thrash it only as they have occasion to boyl it and they never boyl it but just before they go to eat it It is insipid and heavy Yet is it presently boyl'd and in less then half an hour after it is put into the Water they stir it softly with a Stick and after it has stood never so little upon the Fire it turns into Past When the Grain is all dissolv'd and the Past well wrought together they lessen the Fire let the Water boyl away and the Past harden and dry in the Skellet where it was boyl'd This Past is very white and some there is which they make as white as Snow They serve it upon little Woodden Peels made on purpose And this sort of Bread the Turks call Pasta the Mingrelians Gom being easily brok'n between the Fingers but it is of a very cold and laxative Quality nor is it worth any thing after it is once cold or when it is heated a second time However the Circassians Mingrelians and Georgians who are Tributary to the Turks the Abca's the Mountaineers of Caucasus and all that inhabit the Coasts of the Black-Sea from the Lake Maeotis to Trebisond live all upon this Past 'T is all
are of a Peculiar sort of Workmanship and shew the curiosity of the Artist For they are built one over the other and the uppermost is much higher and larger in the Diameter then that below which serves for a Basis to the other There are also three Hospitals in the City very neat and well in repair however there is no body lodg'd within 'em only they give Victuals to those that come twice a day These Hospitals at Tauris are call'd Ach-tucon that is Places where they spend a great deal of Victuals At the end of the City to the West upon a little mountain stands a Hermitage a very neat piece of Workmanship which they call Ayn Hali or the Eyes of Haly. This Califf whom their Prophet made his Son-in-Law was as the Persians report the most lovely man that was ever seen so that when they would signifie any thing that is extreamly handsom they say t is Haly's Eyes This Hermitage serves the Taurisians for a place of Devotion and the way to it for a walk of Pleasure Without the City of Tauris to the East appears a great Castle almost gon to decay which they call Cala-Rashidé It was built above 400 years ago by Cojé Reshid Grand Visier to King Kazan The Story reports that their King had five Grand Visirs because he did not believe that one could suffice to dispatch all the affairs of so great a Kingdom Abas the Great seeing that Castle ruin'd and judging it advantageously seated as well to defend the City as to command it caus'd it to be repair'd about fifty years since but his Successors not being of his opinion let it go to Ruin There are also to be seen the Ruins of the Principal Edifices and Fortifications which the Turks built there during the several times that they were Masters of it So that there are very few Rocks or Poynts of Mountains joyning to the City where nothing but the Ruins of Forts and Heaps of Rubbish are to be seen Of which I carefully survey'd a great Part but I could not discover any thing of Antiquity There is nothing to be digg'd up but Bricks and Flint Stones The onely Edifice that remains most entire among the Turkish Buildings is a large Mosquee the inside of which is inlay'd or rather pargetted with transparent Marble and all the Outside variegated in Mosaic work But the Persians account the Place defil'd because it was built by the Turks whose Faith they abominate Among the heaps of Rubbish of which I have spoken without the City to the South appear the Ruines of the Palace of the late Kings of Persia And to the East those of the Castle where they say Cosroes lodg'd and where he laid up the Holy Cros for Security and all those other sacred Spoyles which he brought away from Jerusalem The Piazza of Tauris is the most spacious Piazza that ever I saw in any City of the World and far surpasses that of Ispahan The Turks have several times drawn up within it Thirty Thousand Men in Battel Toward the Evening this Piazza is fill'd with all the meaner sort of People that repair thither for Sport and Pastime Where some are for Gaming some for Tricks of Activity some for seeing Jack-Puddings and Mountebanks act their Drolleries some for Wrestling others for Bull and Ram-fighting others for repeating Verses some reciting Stories in Prose and some to see Wolves dance The People of Tauris take great delight to see that sort of Sport insomuch that they bring those Dancing Wolves a hundred Leagues an end after they are well taught And such as are best instructed are sold for five hunder'd Crowns a piece many times also great Quarrels arise about these Wolves which are not easily appeas'd Nor is this Piazza empty in the day time as being a Market for all sorts of Provisions and things of small Price There is also another Piazza at Tauris which appears in the Plate before the demolish'd Castle call'd the Castle of Jafer-Pacha This was a Place for the Rendezvous and exercise of the Souldiers belonging to the Garrison now it serves for the Shambles where they kill and dress all sorts of large Meat which is sold in all parts of the City I have with great diligence endeavour'd to understand the number of the Inhabitants in Tauris but could never have a just account but I think I may truly reck'n it to amount to 550 Thousand Persons yet several Persons in the City would make me believe there could not be less than Eleven hundred Thousand The number of Strangers also which are there at all times is very great for that they resort thither from all parts of Asia Nor do I know of any sort of Merchandize of which there is not there a Magazine to be found The City is full of Artists in Cotton in Silk and in Gold The fairest Turbans in Persia are there made And I have heard several of the Principal Merchants of the City affirm that there are above six thousand Bayles of Silk wrought out in Manufacture every year The Trade of the City extends all over Persia and Turky into Muscovy Tartary to the Indies and over the Black-Sea The Air of Tauris is cold and dry very good and healthy nor can any man complain that it contributes to any bad disposition of Humors The Cold continues there a long time in regard the City is expos'd to the North for the Snow lies nine months in the year upon the tops of the Mountains that surround it The Wind blows almost every day Morning and Evening It also rains very often unless it be in the Summer nor is the Sky but seldom without Clouds any season of the Year It is seated in 38. deg of Latitude and 82 of Longit. It abounds with all things necessary for human Support so that a Man may fare there deliciously and very cheap The Caspian Sea which is not above forty Leagues distant affords 'em Fish And some they also take in the River of Agi before mention'd but that is only when the water is low The usual price of Bread is three pound for a penny and of a pound of Flesh Three half pence In the Summer there is great plenty of Venison and water Fowl But they kill very little Venison or other wild Beasts There are also Eagles in the Mountains one which I have seen sold by the Country people for a groat Persons of Quality let fly the Sparrow-Hawk at the Eagle which is a Flight full of Curiosity and much to be admir'd For the Sparrow-Hawk soaring above the Eagle stoops of a sudden with that swiftness strikes her Pounces into his sides and with her wings continually beating upon his head sends him in a short time to the ground Yet sometimes it happens that both the Eagle and the Sparrow-Hawk come both to the Earth together In the same manner the Sparrow-Hawks will many times stop the flight of hunted Stags and render the Chace much
aboard to search the Vessels But when a Ship drops her Anchor several Boats make from the Haven to carry those ashoar that are desirous to go Caffa is a great Town built at the bottom of a little Hill upon the Sea-shoar It extends it self more in length then breadth lying in length very directly from the South to the North encompass'd with very strong Walls that advance a little into the Sea which is the reason that when we take a Prospect of the City from the upper part of the Deck it seems to be built like a Half-Moon The Castle upon the South side stands upon a Rising Ground that commands all the parts thereabout being very large and the Residence of the Basha The other is not so big but well stor'd and defended with great Guns the Sea washing that side which is next to it They reck'n about 4000 Houses to be in Caffa of which 3200 are inhabited by Mahumetans Turks and Tartars and 800 by Christians Greeks and Armenians though the Armenians are more numerous then the Greeks The Houses are but small and all built of Earth as are also their Bazars or Market-places their Publick Structures Mosquees and Baths There is not one Building of Stone in all the City except eight Churches somewhat gone to decay formerly built by the Genoeses This Caffa was once call'd Theodosia which the Greeks built in the fifth Age. Afterwards it fell under the Dominion of the Genoeses with several other Sea-Port Towns in several parts of that Sea in the Thirteenth Age in the time of the Holy War and during the weak and low Condition of the Eastern Emperors But Mahomet the Second won all those Places from the Genoeses toward the end of the Sixteenth Age Caffa being taken in the Year 1574. The Soyl about Caffa is Dry and Sandy nor is the Water good but the Air is very pure and wholsom There are very few Gardens about it nor is there but little Fruit. However they bring great Quantities from the Neighbouring Villages though it cannot be said to be very delicious However I do not know whether there be any other City in the World where other Provisions are cheaper and better Their Mutton is exceeding well-tasted and not above one Farthing a Pound Their other Provisions of Bread Fruit Wild Fowl and Butter is sold proportionably at a cheaper Rate Salt is as good as giv'n ye and in a word whatever is necessary for Human Sustenance costs little or nothing Nevertheless by the way take notice that Fresh Fish is a very great Rarity and very small whatever that they catch in the parts round about the Harbour and that only at certain times as in Antumn and the Spring Almost all the Turks and Tartars that live in the Town wear little Bonnets of Cloath fac'd with Sheepskins But in regard that over all Asia Bonnets are most usually worn among the Christians those of Caffa are oblig'd to fasten to theirs a little piece of Cloath such as the Jews in Germany wear upon their Cloaks to distinguish 'em from the Mahometans The Road of Caffa is shelter'd from the Winds except it be to the North and South-East and the Ships lie at Anchor near the Shoar in Ten and Twelve Fathom Water Ouzie at the bottom and very safe There is also a great Trade driven there more then in any other Port belonging to the Black-Sea During the Forty Days that I staid there I saw come in and go out above Four Hunderd Sail of Ships not counting little Vessels that keep close to the Shoar The most usual and most considerable Trade which they drive consists in Salt Fish and Caveare which comes from the Lake Maeotis and is thence transported into Europe and as far as the Indies 'T is incredible what a World of Fish is caught in that Lake considering its extent And the reason which the Country People give for the Infinite Multitude of Fish there bred and taken is this For that the Water of that Lake being muddy thick and not very salt because of the Tanais that empties it self into it it invites not only the Fish out of Tanais and the Black-Sea but also out of the Hellespont and the Archipelago where they breed and grow fat in a small time Several Persons have assur'd me That they usually catch Fish in that Lake which weigh every one Eight and Nine Hunderd Pounds and of which they make between three and four Hunderd weight of Caveare 'T is true I never saw any such large Fish alive at Caffa however I am apt to believe it by the pieces of Fish which I have seen and the vast Quantities which they export into a Thousand Places Their Fishing lasts from October till April And perhaps it is the Mudd of that Water of Maeotis which makes 'em call it a Mersh for otherwise it would be more properly call'd a Lake in regard it bears Vessels of Burden nor do the Waters rise or fall and besides that it continually partakes of a great River and the Sea Next the Exportation of Caveare and Fish the most considerable Trade is driv'n in Corn Butter and Salt with which this City furnishes Constantinople and several other places The Caffa Butter is the best in all Turkey The Venetians have several times desir'd leave to Trade to this Town but it would never be granted In the Year 1672. Signor Quirini was at great Expences to obtain it and he had obtain'd it indeed but the Customer of Constantinople caus'd the Licence to be revok'd upon this Occasion All the Europeans have it agreed in their Capitulations That they shall pay no Customs but in such places where they unlade their Goods By Virtue of which Article the Venetians would pay no Customs at Constantinople for Goods that came in a small Vessel bound for Caffa which the Farmer of the Customs claim'd And Signor Quirini obtain'd an Order from the Defterdar to the Farmer not to take any Cognizance of what was in the said Venetian Vessel Which Defterdar is the High Treasurer of the Empire and has all the Customs under his Inspection But the Customer seeing this Order wrote to the Vizier That the Trade of the Venetians into the Black-Sea would be very prejudicial to the Grand Signior and the Port and that the particular Damage to his Highness was most visible in regard the Merchandize which is proper for the Black-Sea and brought from Venice pays Customs twice at their coming into the Port of Constantinople and going out That it was the same thing as to the Commodities that were brought out of that Sea and which the Venetians Export all which the Grand Signior would lose if the Venetians had Liberty to Trade thither in regard that by Virtue of their Capitulations they ought to pay no Customs but where they discharge their Merchandises Besides that to permit the Venetians an Entrance into the Black-Sea was to open a new way for the Christian Princes to Correspond
Physick and Surgery For he had been up and down in the World a Chirurgeon by Profession The Theatins affirm That all the Spiritual Benefit which the Country reaps from their being among 'em is only Baptizing of Infants there being none which are there Baptiz'd or but after a very odd Fashion Unless it be in that they confess they make no other progress among the Mingrelians vvho are so far say they from embracing the Roman Ceremonies that they do not believe the Europeans to be Christians because they do not see 'em observe so many Fasts nor with so strict and severe an Abstinence besides that they do not Worship Images The Theatin's very immediate Slaves will not Communicate with their Masters in their Religious Exercises and they have assur'd me they could never Educate any one to serve at the Mass I have seen these Fryers sometimes Baptize Childern for they Baptize all that they meet with in Houses vvhere they have not either been of a long time or vvhere they do not remember that ever they Administer'd that Sacrament before I have tarry'd several Days in several Places of Mingrelia with the Superiour of the Theatins and have frequently seen his vvay of Baptizing For vvhen they brought him any one that vvas ill he call'd for a Bason of Water pretending to vvash his Hands and vvhen he had wash'd 'em before he dry'd 'em again vvith the end of his Finger he touch'd the Forehead of the Child making the Parents believe it vvas only to understand the Distemper He Baptiz'd Childern that vvere in Health by flirting a little Water in their Faces vvhile he vvas vvashing his Hands as if he had done it in sport I ask'd him What it vvas he did I have Baptiz'd these Childern said he happy is it for them that vve came into the House I ask'd him a second time What Name he had giv'n ' em I give 'em no Name answer'd he for oft-times I know not whether I Baptize a Male or a Female there is no Necessity for the Name it being sufficient to cast a drop of Water upon the Infant and mentally to recite the Form of Baptism In a word the Theatins are very miserable in Mingrelia they pillage 'em they abuse 'em nor have they any value or respect for 'em unless it be when any Sickness or Wound constrains 'em to require their Assistance The 18th the Princess of Mingrelia came to visit the Theatins and presently the Superiour of the Theatins made haste to attend her These Princesses of Mingrelia and those of the Neighbouring Countries they call Dedopalè which in the Georgian Language signifies Queen She was a Horseback attended by about Eight Women and Ten Men and some Lacqueys that ran by her Horse But this Train of hers was very ill clad and very badly mounted She told the Prefect or Superiour That she understood that the Provision which was usually sent 'em from Constantinople was come and that there were Europeans in the House who had brought a long with 'em a considerable Quantity of Goods that she was very glad of it and desir'd to see 'em that she might bid 'em Welcom Presently I was call'd for to pay my Respects to her at what time Father Zampi told me that I must make her a Present the way according to the Custom of that Country to acknowledge the favourable Visits of the Prince and Princess Upon that I besought her to tarry till I could bring her one to her Palace to which she readily consented Now she had been told that I spake Turkish and Persian upon which she sent for a Slave that understood Turkish whom she order'd to ask me a Thousand Questions concerning my Quality and the design of my Travels I made him answer That I was a Capuchin and spoke and acted always as a Religious Person but it was plain her Majesty did not believe me for all her Discourse was about Love and she caus'd the Question to be put Whether I were sensible of that Passion and whether I had ever been in Love How it could be that a Man could never be in Love or live without a Woman And with this Discourse she went on so pleasingly that all her Train were strangely delighted to hear her Though for my part I could have wish'd the Princess and her Train farther off from me For I was afraid she would have caus'd the House to be plunder'd having three times demanded to see what I had brought together with the Theatins Provision Which Provision is yearly sent 'em from Constantinople as I have already said and consists of Goods and Commodities of several sorts of which they are oblig'd to send a good share to the Prince the Princess to the Vizier and the Principal Gentlemen of the Country Father Zampi therefore promis'd to bring her the accustom'd Present the next day and that I my self should bring her one likewise and so satisfi'd God be thanked she went away The 19th in the Morning she sent to invite me to Dinner whither I went with Father Zampi and another Theatin She was then at a House about two Miles from ours For she did not live with the Prince who could not endure her but hated her to death in regard he had been forc'd to marry her I found her in a Dress somewhat richer then the day before she was likewise painted and had us'd all her Skill to set her self out to the best Advantage Her Habit was of Cloth of Gold the Attire of her Head Glister'd with Precious Stones but for her Vail it was altogether Curious and Gay and of a particular Fashion She sate upon a Carpet having on each side Nine or Ten Women that belong'd to her Chamber for her Maids of Honour were as they said retir'd for safety to a Fortress by reason of the Wars The Hall was full of Rake-shames half Naked which compos'd her Court. Before I was admitted I was ask'd for the Present I had brought Which was carry'd by a Lacquey who gave it to some of her Servants consisting of Pastes of Genoa Ribbands Paper Needles Twizers Knives and Scissars all Neat and Curious The whole cost about Forty Shillings but worth above a Five Pounds in Mingrelia The Princess was extreamly pleas'd and when she had feen 'em sent for me into her Presence Where the Slave that spake Turkish order'd me to sit down upon a Bench that was close by Presently the first thing she said to me was That she would marry me to one of her Friends and that she would not have me to leave the Country for that she would give me Houses Lands Slaves and Tenants After that she fell into the same Discourse as the Day before but it lasted not long because the People gave her Notice that Dinner was ready The House where she liv'd was in the midst of five or six others every one a hunderd Paces distant from it without any Fence either of Hedge or Wall Before it stood
because I was going upon the Kings business and therefore that I was at Liberty to go when I pleas'd that there was all manner of security within his Territories and that therefore I needed no Convoy nevertheless that he would send one of his Officers along with me if I desir'd it The Fathers told me afterwards that he had held 'em in a long discourse concerning his earnest desire that the Europeans would come and settle in Georgia to which purpose they had orders to tell me that if they would come thither for Trade he would Grant 'em all the Priviledges and Advantages they could desire That his Territories extended to the Black-Sea and that bearing a great sway in Persia and being highly esteem'd in Turkey such Europeans as design'd to the Indies could not chuse a better Road then through his Territories and that he was assur'd that when they had once travell'd it they would always make choice of it for the future I desir'd the Fathers to return my most humble Thanks to the Prince for the Kindness which he had for our Nation and to let him know That I would not fail to give to the French East-India Company Notice of his good Intentions which if he would be pleas'd to signifie in a Letter I would certainly take care to have it sent Lastly That he would do me a great Honour to grant me one of his Domestick Servants to Conduct me to the next Government of which I should not fail to give an Account to the King and his Ministers when I should be arriv'd at Ispahan The 24th the Tibilelle for so is the Bishop of Tefflis call'd as I have said already came to see me He told me That the Prince had commanded him to acquaint me That having consider'd upon what I had sent to him about Writing to the French Company for setling a Trade and a Passage through Georgia He was about to have done it to inform 'em of the Advantage they might make of a Trade into that Country but in regard he was no more then a Vassal to the King of Persia he was afraid his Majesty would look upon it as a Crime to have Written without his Order to Strangers about Business However I might assure 'em this That if they would send Factors into his Country they should find many sorts of Merchandizes that were proper for Europe very cheap besides that they should be receiv'd with all the Civility imaginable In answer to which I desir'd the Tibilelle to assure the Prince that I would faithfully discharge my Trust The Prelate staid with me about a quarter of an Hour in my Chamber and at his departure I presented him a very fair Rosary of Coral according to the Custom of Repaying the Visits of a Person of Quality Nor were the Capuchins less glad of the Visit I had receiv'd then of the manner of my Acknowledgment in regard the Bishop of Tefflis had never been at their House before The 25th the Prince sent me a Present of Wine and order'd the Messenger to tell me That he had appointed a Persian of his own Family for my Guide that he had commanded a Letter of Orders to be dispatch'd that I might set forward as soon as I pleas'd The 26th Father Raphael made me spend two Hours with an old Woman that practis'd Physick by the help of an infinite Number of Receipts Of which he caus'd me to write down some that he had heard People make the greatest Brags of in my Table-Book For the Dropsie ☞ half a Dram of the Juice of the Roots of Garden-Chiches and repeat the Remedy every other Day To stop a Flux of Urine Eat for three days together the inner Skins of the Gysern of a Capon rosted five every day Against the Biting of a Scorpion Take a Live-Hen pull the Feathers off the Rump and lay it upon the Wound For then the Hen sucks the Poyson into her Body and dies When the Convulsion begins to seize the Hen take another and apply her in the same manner and so another till all the Poyson be suck'd out For the Yellow Jaundise Make a Bed of Boyl'd Rice and lay the Patient well cover'd upon it or else put him into a Bath of Milk and it works the same effect For External Pains of the Joynts Take either the Decoction or the Perfume of three Drams of Hellebore For Inward Pains of what sort soever Take Potions of Mummy For all sorts of Falls Bruises and Hurts Take Mummy in Drink wrap up the Patient in a Cows Hide and let him Blood The Wound must be heal'd with the Powder of the Herb Mullein For Defluxions and Rheumes to the Head and Throat Take Perfume of Yellow Amber For the Dysentery Give the Infusion of the Leaves and Berries of Myrtle or else the Blood of a Rosted Hare infus'd in Wine For the Haemorrhoids Powder the Leaves of Plantain and strew upon the part affected For Pains in the Reins take the Decoction of the Leaves and Seed of Marsh-Mallows For Ulcers in the Reins use Milk Against a Pleuresy take two little thin Cakes of ordinary Meal and boil 'em in Water with Roch-Allum and Madder and apply 'em as hot as may be endur'd upon the side the one behind and the other before this Remedy must be dayly repeated till the Cure be perfected Against a Cough make use of the Root of the Herb call'd Hounds-Tongue or Dogs-Tongue The most usual Cure for Agues in this Country is to make Plaisters of the Fat of a Sheeps Rump Cinamon Cloves and Cardamomes and all the time of the cold fit to lay these Plaisters upon the Forehead Stomach and Feet When the hot fit is over take off those Plaisters and lay on others made of the Leaves of Cichory Plantain and the Herb call'd Solanum or Nightshade afterwards they take a Sucking-Pig cut it in two and clap it to the Feet All which time the Patient is fed with Bread and Cream of Almonds eating nothing that is boyl'd Father Raphael assur'd me that he had seen 'em in that Country cure Agues by carrying the Patient in the height of his Cold fit and plunging him over Head and Ears in the Water It is a thing hard to be beleiv'd and in Truth to me it appear'd a thing altogether Extravagant in regard it seem'd to be so Dangerous However it is observ'd that the difference of Climates and Temperaments of Countrys produces far different effects in Remedies so that the Remedy if I may so say that Kills in one Country does but only stir a Man in another In the Evening the Princes Chancellors Secretary brought me the Officer who was to conduct me to Erivan and in my presence gave him the Letter of Orders for his so doing Of which the Translation follows GOD. UNder severe Penalties the Noble Lord 1 Emin-Aga is Commanded exactly to cause to be Executed the Tenor of the Patent which the Deceas'd King who was here below the
it There are but few Mosques at Casbin The chiefest of which by them call'd Metshid-guima or the Mosque of the Congregation was founded by Haron-Reshid Califf of Bagdat in the year of the Hegyra 170. The Royal Mosque call'd Metshid-sha is one of the largest and fairest in all Persia being seated at the end of a spacious Street planted with fair Trees which begins from one of the Gates of the Palace Royal. This Mosque was almost all built at the expences of Tahmas and in his Life time his Father Ishmael having laid the Foundations but dying before they came to be even with the street There are also several handsome buildings among the Caravanserai's or Publick Inns. That which they call the Royal Inn contains 250 Channels has a large Fountaine planted with Trees in the middle of the Court and two Gates which the lead in the Court from two streets full of shops where the most costly sort of Merchandises are sold But chiefest Grace and Ornament of Casbin consists neither in Inns nor Baths nor in Bazars nor in Markets Tobacco Coffee or strong-water Houses where the Persians debauch themselves but in the great number of Palaces of the Persian Grandees which they keep in their possession from Father to Son by reason of the long residence of the Court at Casbin from time to time But there are not so many Gardens in Casbin as in most part of the other City of that Province because the soyl is Sandy and dry for want of water there being only a little River which is no more then an Arm of the River Charoud not sufficient to to supply the Grounds about it So that they are forc'd to bring their water from the Mountain in Subterraneal Channels which they call Kerises that empty themselves into Vaults thirty foot deep which though it be cool is nevertheless heavy and insipid Which want of water is also the reason that the Air of Casbin is heavy thick and not very healthful especially in Summer by reason that the City not having a running stream has neither any sinks to carry away the filth of the Town Yet notwithstanding this same scarcity of water the City abounds in Meat and all manner of Provisions for that the Plains that lie round about it are so well water'd that they feed a world of Cattel and produce a prodigious plenty of Corn and Fruits Among the rest the fairest Grape in Persia which they call Shahoni or the Royal Grape being of a Gold Colour transparent and as big as a small Olive These Grapes are dry'd and transported all over the Kingdom They also make the strongest Wine in the World and the most luscious but very thick as all strong and sweet wines usually are This incomparable Grape grows only upon the young Branches which they never water So that for five months together they grow in the Heat of Summer and under a scorching Sun without receiving a drop of water either from the skie or otherwise When the Vintage is over they let in their Cattel to browze in the Vineyards afterwards they cut off all the great Wood and leave only the young stocks about three foot high which need no propping up with Poles as in other places and therefore they never make use of any such supporters There is also great Plenty of Pistachio's in those parts where the Air is very hot in the Summer all the day long by reason of the high Mountain that lies to the North. But on the other side the Nights are so cold that if a Man expose himself never so little to the air after he is undrest he is sure to fall sick Casbin lies in 85. deg and 5. min. of Long. and in 36. deg and 35. min. of Latitude The most part of our European Chorographers who have discours'd of the Cities of Persia affirm Casbin to be the ancient Arsacia and that before it was call'd Europa till the Parthians gave it that name from Arsaces the first of their Emperors that is it the same with that City which the Greeks call'd Ragea and the holy Scripture Rages of Media Some are of opinion that it was that same Casbira of which Strabo makes mention but the Persian Histories will not allow it to be so ancient The History entitl'd Elbeijon or the Explication relates That this was founded by Shapour the Son of Ardeshir-babecon and that he gave it the name of Shaepour as much as to say the City of the Kings Son For Shae signifies a King and Pour in the ancient Persian a Son Whence the name of Sha-pour which the ancient Greeks call Sapores The History entitl'd Teduine affirms that the City which was call'd Shaepour was not Casbin and that it was not built on the same place where Casbin now stands but at least three Leagues above toward the West at the Concourse of two Rivers the one named Haroud already mention'd which springs from the Mountain Alou-vent and the other call'd Ebher-roud or the River of Ebher I have heard several Persons of Quality affirm that there are in that place vast heaps of Ruins to be seen and all Authors agree that the two Towns call'd Sartshé not far from thence were built in the Reign of Ardeshir-babecon Another Persian History compos'd by an Author call'd by the name of Ambdalla relates that Casbin had its first Rise from a Castle which the King last mention'd caus'd to be built to stop the Inroads of the Deilemites that came down from Mount Alouvent and ravag'd all the Territory That this Castle was seated in the middle of the City where is now the Royal Piazza of Casbin and that it was ruin'd by the Arabians in the time of Osman one of Mahomets first successors And indeed almost all their Histories make mention of this Castle and say that after it was demolish'd it was rebuilt again much larger then before and a great Town rais'd round about it Mousael-hadibilla the Son of Mahomet-mehdy Califf of Bagdat caus'd it to be surrounded with walls in the 170. year of the Hegyra and about a thousand paces from it built a little City which he call'd by his own name Medina-Moussi which name one large Ward or Quarter of Casbin carrys to this day Moubarec-suzbee one of the Califfs free'd Servants who had the Government of the Province and to whom the work was recommended built another City at an equal distance and call'd it Moubarekié for the preservation of his name which the Persians some time after call'd Moubarec-abad Moubarec signifying blessed abada habitation Haron-Reshid Brother and Successor to Mousa-elhadi joyn'd these three little Cities into one by filling up the void space with a great number of buildings and then order'd the whole to be encompass'd with Walls and Fortifications Which work was begun in the 190 year of the Hegyra Haron also had a design to have made it a Bull-wark against the Incursions of the Hircanians and Deilamites and a Magazine for the warr